New Jersey imam fatally shot outside mosque as shooter remains at large

Islamic Monitor — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 13:02:49 +0000

A New Jersey imam was shot and killed on Wednesday, 3 January 2024 outside a mosque in the state’s largest city, authorities said as officers worked to identify and arrest the shooter.

Newark Police Officers stand guard outside the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque following the shooting of Imam Hassan Sharif in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.

The cleric, Imam Hassan Sharif, was shot after 6am outside the Masjid-Muhammad-Newark mosque, Newark’s public safety director, Fritz Fragé, said in an emailed statement. Sharif was taken to nearby University hospital and was in critical condition, authorities said. He later succumbed to his injuries.

Crowds gathered for the funeral service for Imam Hassan Sharif, who was shot to death outside a Newark mosque on Wednesday. The service was held at the NIA Masjid & Community Center in Newark, NJ.

Hours later, police had no one in custody. It is unclear what led to the violence and if the imam was targeted. Fragé said the shooting was under investigation and no other information was available.

A message seeking more information was left with the mosque.

Tanasia Ransom thanked the public for their support after her father, Imam Hassan Sharif, was shot and killed. She spoke outside funeral for her father at NIA Masjid in Newark on Jan. 6, 2024.

The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said it was gathering information and urged people to contact local police.

“We are deeply concerned about this incident and pray for the speedy recovery of the imam,” a CAIR-NJ spokesperson, Dina Sayedahmed, said in a statement.

Source: The Guardian

40 Years After, New Jersey Mosque Now a Dream Come True

Islamic Monitor — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 11:57:46 +0000

Forty years seems a very long period to achieve a dream. That might be the reason for the jubilant atmosphere filling the New Jersey Muslim community as they put the final touches on their long-awaited mosque. As workers finalize the mosque dome and fencing, Muslims are celebrating a moment that took 40 years in the making to finish a house of worship that would soon host thousands of worshippers.

For years, the thriving Muslim community has prayed in a converted Chinese restaurant and bar. Today, they have a three-storey mosque with a green dome glinting in the sun on that very site. The mosque construction will be finalized in October, and the large prayer room will fit more than 2,000 people.

New Jersey City mosque is a dream decades in the making for thriving Pakistani Muslim community.

Saad Admani, 28, believes the new building will motivate younger Muslims to join youth programming. “When you reflect on how much our elders have contributed, it’s sort of amazing because they’re immigrants,” Admani said. “They came here. They established a mosque in very trying times and have mobilized the community to build a purpose mosque. It’s sort of remarkable.”

Mosques are the beating heart of Muslim communities and stand as a physical example of the Islamic faith. They serve for prayers, and events during Ramadan, and as centers for education and information. They also serve as places for social welfare.

Source: AboutIslam.net

New Jersey Mosque – Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC)

New Jersey imam fatally shot outside mosque as shooter remains at large

40 Years After, New Jersey Mosque Now a Dream Come True